Teyla's Action
by Rodlox
Summary: An au of the episode The Ark. What if Jaemis had been, for one moment, offensive rather than defensive?


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Title:Teyla's Action

Author:Keenir.

Beta:The incomparable Barefootchick.

All errors are my own.

POV:Teyla.

Takes place during:The Ark.

Spoilers for:The Ark.

Category:AU

Divergence:If Jaemis had been offensive rather than defensive for a moment during the crisis.

Characters:Jaemis, Teyla Emmagan, Evan Lorne, Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, Carson Becket.

**"stri" was my attempt to give a patrynomic system to people in her galaxy…like ben, bin, -sson, and so on.**

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"You say you know the hardships of my people," Jaemis tells me, "that you are familiar with our struggle to escape the Wraith. Who are _you_, Teyla, that I should listen to your words of abandoning my people to fire and gravity." We are beginning to fall into them right now. "_Tey-la_?" Jaemis asks, expecting an answer.

Not for the first time, I wish my grandparents had selected a better name for me. "_Te-yla. _I am Teyla Emmagan. My people are the Athosians." Yes, I see recognition now. No matter how long he has been stored, he like all others know of Athosians as a homeless society, fleeing the Wraith from one world to another. "I have led my people into alliance with my friends whom stand outside that door, only some of whom you have thus far met." Let me lead you to survival as well.

I am about to mention Ronon, who turned out not to be the sole survivor of his people after all, when Jaemis says to me that, "I recant. Teyla Emmagan, stri Athosian," handing me back my sidearm, "into your charge do I entrust my people," and activates the Collector , the device used by the Wraith to beam up humans , the device which caused Rodney such a headache a year ago -- I have always called the Collector that, and see nothing to replace the name -- taking him in.

I am alone in the room. I run to the door, unlocking it. It opens.

John is the first through, and he attempts to grab my arm; I pull my arm away from his fingers. "C'mon, Teyla, its time to go!"

"What of Jamus and his people?" and see the answer in his eyes. No! "Rodney? Ronon? Evan?" asking them each in turn.

Rodney bites his lip, plainly thinking. Ronon and Evan stride determinedly into the room -- I step aside. "What the hell," Rodney says, and joins the three of us at the wiring.

"Do you feel alright, Teyla?" Carson asks me, trying to take my pulse while I work.

"There is no time, Carson," I tell him gently. "Right now -"

"Right now," John says, "there's no time for any of this. We need to get out of here."

"What of Jamus and his people?"

"I'm sure they're nice folks, but there's nothing we can do for them. Rodney!"

"What??" Rodney demands of him. "You think this is appreciably more difficult than depressurizing an asteroid and restoring its life support systems?"

"So we're not a meteor?" Evan asks.

"I don't know.," Rodney said. "I haven't looked outside lately. Got it," disconnecting the final set of wires.

The four of us look at one another and say in unison, "The ship."

"Thought," John says, "you said the jumper -"

"Not the jumper," Rodney says. "_Their_ ship."

"Fine. Can I fly it?"

"I thought" as we begin to move the collection box, "you wanted nothing to do with the little red hen."

"What?"

Evan chuckles. "That or he's only now remembering the Sybaline Books."

"Very true," Rodney says.

"_I_ will pilot it," I say. Evan looks about to object. "Jamus put his people in my hands. I cannot let go."

Evan nods agreement. "We'll look at the flight systems," he says. I accept."

"Ronon?" John asks, looking for an ally in this, I suppose.

In response, Ronon sings '_One Is The Lonliest Number_.' While I appreciate its motivational power over him, could not Laura have taught him a different song in their shower? After all, where else does a person sing, save for at a funeral?

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The End

**the Sybaline Books were 12 books which were reputed to contain all the knowledge of the universe…..the old woman who was offering the 12 to a village said it would cost 1 bag of gold for the entire set; when the people refused to pay, she burned 6 of the books, and left……the next year, the price was double for the remaining 6; again the people refused to pay, again the old woman burned half of the books & left.**

**Eventually, there was only one book left, and the people had suffered through bad harvests and severe winters, but they'd gathered up all their gold, and gave it to the old woman, who gave them the book. As she was leaving, the people said "it'd better be worth it." to that, the old woman said "it is. And you should have seen the rest of it"**


End file.
